Craiglist is the way to go man, just be vigilant in checking daily until a price you like comes up, and jump on it immediately when it does. You could also negotiate with someone for their stuff. A lot of people ask basically full retail for their dumbells, but they’ll never sell them for that, so make an offer for half.

If you’re lucky sometimes sports shops will run a sale, especially if it’s like the used sports equipment shops.

What @Nullo said. If you’re on a low budget, you can load up two backpacks with books or bottles of water or sand, and use that.

Weights are just expensive, I’m afraid, even if it’s just a stupid lump of metal. A dollar a pound sounds like a normal price. (Although I’ve never bought pre-owned ones.)
As materials go, I believe polyethylene is the cheapest and also floor-friendlier than cast iron, so look for that, I suppose. A while ago I got 20kg worth of plates for about €22 that way. (To convert: if they were $1/pound, I would have paid €35,60 for that.)
I think it’s a bit less common than cast iron. Also, the ones I have are rather thick, so you could fit less of them on one bar, so keep in mind what they need to fit on.

@Fyrius I am not on a low budget exactly… but I would rather not spend 2200 dollars on a weight set. Hahaha. This guy has a used set, and is selling it for a dollar a pound, and thent he higher weights for 1.50 a pound.

It just seems outragous for used weights.

These are what I was looking at… but the guy just wants what in my opinion is too much. Am I off base?

@mowens That guy is trying to sell a gym-worthy set. Are dumbells and kettles what you want? Most people on here are recommending free weights.

If it really is dumbbells you want, I think you could do a lot better at someplace like Sports Authority or Sports Basement of Big 5 Sporting Goods. Figure out want dumbbells you want, and get them. And you don’t need a full set and you don’t need them all now. Do you really need both two 95s and two 100s?

A dog might work… I shall get one. I went through a whole thing of getting one before, however I decided not to because I had roommates. It is ok if my puppy eats my stuff, but I sense it could break a friendship.

All those weights got onto craigslist because someone decided they needed them initially and then didn’t use them as much as they thought they would.

Think about it. Are these dumbbells completing a home gym or starting one? If you’re starting, why not spend the minimum on something flexible and then if it becomes a consistent part of your life it will be worth upgrading to something that fits your style.

You would probably end up spending that additional money somewhere other than a full set of gym quality dumbbells and be happier in the long run.

@mowensOh lord. That’s a lot of freaking dumbbells.
Am I understanding right that you’re interested in buying more than one pair of these? If you do, I highly recommend the other type. I don’t assume you’ll want to use more than two at a time, and with the adjustable type you could combine the equivalent of any pair of dumbbells he has on there from just two bars and a modest pile of weight plates. That’s cheaper and takes up a lot less space.
What’s more is that you can keep using the same parts even after you get stronger, rather than ending up with a whole lot of light dumbbells that you might as well throw away. A much better investment.

A lot of separate dumbbells might be a good idea for a gym where a lot of people want to work out at the same time, but for one person it seems highly redundant.

To stop avoiding your actual question, though: well, again, I’ve never bought used weights, but I guess that does sound pricey if they’re not new.

@Fyrius I dont like those as much, because yes, while I do only use 2 weights at a time… I do like to switch quickly. So If I bench with the 50’s, I quickly switch to do Triceps with a different weight. I suppose I could get more of those, but the idea is to eventually get people to lift with me at my place. :)

@hearkat You are around me? Which listings do you use? I seldom have to go past Craigslist. Do you mean like Play it again sports?

@mowens: I apologize for using the term “our area”, as I can see why you’d infer that I meant that we live near each other. I honestly have no clue where you live.

It sounds like Play It Again Sports is a consignment or reseller. Nowadays, “Local Listings” can mean the Yellow Pages in book form or on line. Googling “Sporting Goods Consignment” plus your area code should help you find places.

In addition to Craig’s List, you can check eBay and your local newspaper’s classifieds – which are usually listed online, too. Check Yard and Garage and Moving sale listings there, too.